A Personal Friend.

21. A Personal Friend.

While in Bible college and in my Senior year, a good friend of mine possessed "straight A's" in school.  When the day of our final exams arrived, my friend did not show up.  He left school and did not take his final exams; therefore, he did not graduate.  Was this God's will for him?  Absolutely not!  God wanted him to finish the course, as Paul has stated in Acts 20:24 :

"But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." The glorious part about this story is that my friend came back to school some time later, completing his final exams and graduated from college. He is now a missionary in Argentina, doing a great work for the Lord. Was that God's will that he dropped out of school? I think not! Did God direct him to drop out? Absolutely not! Being close to my friend while going through college, I was aware of the circumstances that brought this about. God allowed him to make his choice; then, later, to reconsider and finish the calling God had for him.

We do thank God for His patience with us as He directs us by His Word and conviction of the Holy Spirit--always allowing us our free will to serve Him. God wants you to serve Him out of love--not because we are some machine with no free will at all.  My friend was responsible for the decisions he made.  I am grateful he finally made the right decision to finish the course and answer by yielding to the calling of God.